Top 100 Sites & Apps for ACT / SAT Prep

Years of standardized testing throughout elementary, middle, and high school lead up to the big moment when students take the SAT or ACT that influences which colleges will accept them and what their future higher education opportunities will look like. Studying for these two tests is important, to say the least, and there are many websites, apps, and other online resources dedicated to helping diligent students get ready for this academic rite of passage. We’ve gathered 100 (plus 10 more in Honorable Mention!) excellent resources to help you prepare for these important tests.

Official ACT and SAT Testing Websites

ACT.org is the official site of the organization that created and maintains the ACT college entrance exam. The same organization also offers other testing and skill development products for people at different stages of their life or career.

CollegeBoard is a non-profit organization that created and continues to publish the SAT college entrance exam. The CollegeBoard website has many useful tools, including practice test questions and study habit tips for students trying to do well on the SAT so they can apply for highly selective colleges.

SAT Prep Sites

College Primers has services designed for students of all education levels, along with books, important deadline reminders, and common forms and documents you will encounter through the college admissions process.

PWN the SAT is a serious SAT prep site with a humorous twist. The site features practice questions, Q & A sessions, regular blog posts on SAT issues, and links to tons of other great SAT prep resources.

SAT Test Dates provides lists of all test dates and locations to take the SAT by state. Students can also discuss test dates for their locality with a school counselor or other local educatino professional.

Perfect Score Project was started by a mother who wanted to connect with her son over academic struggle, and grew into a resource for anyone looking to transform the SAT from an intimidating obstacle to an invigorating challenge.

Veritas Prep is designed to help students increase their scores on the SAT and move them into a higher percentile category. The program is developed by a student who achieved a perfect score on the SAT.

ACT Prep Sites

These sites have great ACT preparation materials, though many of them offer SAT tips as well. From lists of free practice questions for each section to vocabulary quizzes, flash cards, and other study methods, these sites can help any student shape up before test day.

Prepped & Polished ACT Prep Blog posts on everything college related and its posts on ACT preparation are particularly helpful. They go over different strategies and break down different subjects one-by-one.

The administrators of the Admissions Consultants page have compiled a crucial list of ACT books to help anyone who wants to do their best to succeed. While studying on the go with mobile apps is appealing, sometimes sitting down with a book is the best way to learn important material.

Free ACT Math Test Practice Questions with Answers provides exactly what the name says it will. The page is straightforward and provides questions of similar breadth and rigor, followed by a simple answer key.

Grockit ACT Test Prep Program prepares students for the ACT through social learning techniques that help solidify the information in a student’s mind. Additionally, the program is adaptive and personalized for each student.

Peterson’s Free Practice Test for the ACT provides a complete, free, timed practice test, including essay. The website also provides the resources to find the colleges that are the best fit for each student.

Math.com’s Introduction to the ACT is the perfect starting point for those who are just beginning the ACT process and don’t know where to start. It provides basic information and answers to common questions.

Go College ACT Testing Tips is useful for those just beginning to figure out the ACT and college admissions process. The site concisely answers questions high school students typically have about testing and college admission.

Best ACT Prep Materials from Test Prep Coach breaks down the most important resources for acing the ACT. It directs students to information pertaining to individual test subjects for targeted improvement of weak points in a student’s knowledge.

MathOnTime ACT Math Test Prep helps students focus on the math portion of the ACT assessment through a series of math problems in the style of the ACT that progresses gradually from easiest to most difficult.

BenchPrep ACT Posts is a blog that analyzes different elements of the ACT to determine the best course of action for students based on the student’s academic strengths and weaknesses and the style of studying they respond to best.

ACT Test Online Course explains what to prepare for when in the process of readying yourself for the ACT. The site provides studying tips and practice exams and general advice on how to get the best performance on college entrance exams.

ePrep for ACT gives students access to premium materials for achieving the best score possible on the ACT assessment. Through in-depth subject content and step-by-step explanation to problems, ePrep’s resources help students incrementally grow both their knowledge and their test-taking confidence.

99 Percentile Prep give students helpful tips and guidance for achieving the highest score possible on the ACT, including advice and experiences shared by previous high-performers on college entrance exams.

SAT Study Apps

Mobile flashcard apps, sample test questions, and even entire text books have changed the way that students use technology to learn, and plenty of apps have cropped up to help promising students study up for their SATs.

SAT Math Problem-a-Day Sampler give access to math problems to stay sharp and provide sample problems of what is typically featured on the SAT in areas like Algebra, Geometry, Data Analysis, among other areas.

sTutor – PSAT/SAT Vocab Lite supports 200 words in this version and over 3600 in the Pro version. With the “deck” feature, it allows users to study words in phases, which helps increase how much information is retained.

SAT Vocabulary Suite includes over 400 words and has one and two player quizzes, which enables users to compete against each other for fun. The skill level of the word is also set to a scale between 200 and 800 based on the SAT Critical Reading Section.

ACT Study Apps

Just as there is a plethora of apps dedicated to helping SAT takers study, there are loads of ACT vocabulary building apps, flash card apps, and other study aids for every section of the ACT on mobile devices.

SAT ACT Flashcard Free Trial gives the user a good idea of what to expect from the full version and the full version includes over 5000 SAT word and even a High Frequency Word List to quickly filter through words most likely to appear on standardized assessments.

ACT Practice for Dummies is another well-rounded product from the “for Dummies” company, but this one again proves to be proficient in what it is advertised to do and comes with over 150 practice questions in areas like math, writing, and critical reading.

Math for the ACT® Test has over 1300 questions, with 6 practice quizzes, all with step-by-step solutions. Additionally, the content is supplemented with flashcards and tips for scoring the highest on the ACT.

Tutoring

While reading practice questions and using study apps is a great way to get ready for the ACT and SAT, working with an actual tutor is a pretty unbeatable way of learning the most important material and absorbing crucial data and question-answering methods. These tutoring services can connect students with tutors in person or over the internet for single cram sessions or long term study assistance.

Huntington ACT Prep Classes specializes in helping students who are beginning the studying process for taking the ACT Assessment. Huntington understands the importance of speed and efficiency when taking the ACT and equips students with the best tools to answer the questions in the most thorough and concise manner.

Applerouth ACT Tutoring prepares students for the ACT through preparation services in person and online. Their method is designed to keep students the most engaged, subsequently resulting in better retention of information.

The Edge in College Prep is a professional-grade test preparation and admissions counseling site that stresses only using real exams and groundbreaking teaching methods. They have locations in New York, London, Rio De Janeiro, Buenos Aires, and South Florida.

A+ Test Prep and Tutoring provides an array of services helpful for any prospective college student. Helping with SAT preparation, specific subject tutoring, along with academic coaching and essay editing services, they provide quality resources to succeed.

College Exam Tutor uses 20-minute video courses to increase to effectiveness of teaching students as they prepare for the ACT. This increases the focus and attention span of college students to optimize learning potential.

Ivy Bound ACT Prep prepares students for the ACT with courses and activities tailored to each student. They supplement material with conference calls throughout the week where students can ask questions about any of the work they’ve been going through.

North Coast Education Services helps students through their one-on-one tutoring program and unique approach to material that focuses on material the student struggles with while still enforcing material they’re skilled at.

Pleasonton Tutoring gives students the resources they need to succeed at the ACT and SAT through their mastery preparation classes. They serve the mid-California area and have a record of proven effectiveness.

Honorable Mention

In our quest for finding the best sites, we discovered so many terrific resources that we found it difficult to limit it to only a handful. We’ve gathered 10 more, which we believe will be helpful. The additional resources we’ve researched offer fantastic insight for students. Additional SAT/ACT tips, tutoring, apps, and study resources offer students a larger database of tools to ensure the most satisfactory score on their exam.

Club Z In-Home Tutoring Services – Club Z Tutoring is an organization which gives students the opportunity to make the most of their learning experience. With convenient in-home tutoring sessions, Club Z Tutoring gives students the resources they will need to succeed in one-on-one sessions in the privacy and comfort of their own home. With over 500 locations, this is an excellent resource to consider, especially if your student feels more comfortable with private sessions.

Modality: An Epocrates Company – SAT® Vocab Challenge Vol. 2, is a test-prep app available for iPhones. The app is facilitated by The Princeton Review, which affords it credibility as a viable resource for students trying to study as much as possible. As the winning app for the June 2009 edition of the Children’s Technology Review, it is an excellent choice, which has proven results.

Google Play – VOCAB 4000 for GRE, SAT, and ACT is an Android app that can be downloaded for mobile access to study resources. For only $0.99, students will be able to prepare themselves for the exams with the words that are most commonly tested. Needing no internet access to study the flashcards, students can study on-the-go, no matter where they are!

John Baylor Test-Prep – John Baylor Test Prep is an ACT study course designed to raise the scores students receive on their ACT. This is a convenient resource because the program offers both in-home and on-line tutoring for students. Depending on the student’s availability and comfort zone, the student can choose the course method that best suits their learning style.

WyZant Tutoring – The ACT and SAT are important for determining students’ future, but tutors and test courses can be quite expensive. WyZant Tutoring is an online resource which provides a search database to aid parents and students in finding the best suited tutor, while also finding the lowest possible price. There is no price on the future of students, but if you can get the same results at a cheaper rate, it’s the best possible opportunity.

Number2.com – The ACT can be daunting for students, but that is why test-prep courses exist. To try to alleviate some of the stress and mystery of the ACT, Number2.com is a website that offers a course which provides immediate feedback for students. This is a great resource because it not only tests students, but also teaches them how to avoid making the same mistakes when the time comes to take the official ACT exam.

CollegePrepExpress – CollegePrepExpress is a resource tool that is helpful to students preparing for the SAT and ACT in more than one way. The website not only explains the admission criteria for getting into college, but also gives students the resources necessary to take test-prep courses. This is a sure way to alleviate some of the stress surrounding the process!

Want a 30+ on the ACT? Here’s What to Know – It is no secret that the ACT is a test that causes students an immense amount of stress and anxiety. This is partially because it is weighted so heavily when applying to college, but also because it is just that: a test. Grappling with some of the tips available on this blog should help reduce some of that test-taking anxiety.

Higher Ground Learning – The ACT and SAT test a variety of knowledge bases: math, reading, science, and writing. What if a student feels confident in one area and not the other? Higher Ground Learning offers students test-prep tutoring, as well as specialties in specific subjects. So, no matter what the students feels they need to be better prepared for, Higher Ground Learning has the most highly trained tutor!

Excel College Prep – Excel College Prep is yet another resource that provides students with resources for preparing for both the SAT and the ACT. Offering personalized instruction and flexibility, Excel College Prep is a great resource for studetnts trying to reduce some of their test anxiety!

Scott Hawksworth

Scott Hawksworth is YesCollege.com's founder and editor. He writes with a focus on the challenges faced by students entering higher education, with an eye to making our readers aware of the pitfalls and opportunities that await all would-be graduates. Scott has a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from The Ohio State University.

About the Editor

I'm Scott Hawksworth, the founder and editor of YesCollege.com. I have many passions and interests: playing music (piano), watching sports (football and basketball), and playing with web sites. Professionally, my focus is on higher education. The opportunities and especially the challenges it presents to students are what prompted me to start this site. You can learn more about me and YesCollege.com on our About Us page.